The Voyagers in… Mars
by RevvEmUp
Summary: Tenth installation of The Voyagers. With the help of The Voyagers and the Rescue Bots in their previous adventure, Faxian was able to receive a signal from outer space, from humans! The Voyagers take a trip to space, but then they receive a call for help from Mars. There, they find even more humans in need of help.
1. Chapter 1

In the year 2019, Simon was sitting in his dorm room in Oxford University watching a video of a truck unveiling on his laptop with his friends Al and Theo on video chat. "It looks like something from a sci-fi eighties movie." Theo commented. "I gotta say, Tesla are very… uhh, creative with the design." Simon commented. "I wanna ride that thang so bad. I wanna drive that baby on Mars, and do Mars stuff with it!" Al declared. "Calm down, Al. We all wanna go to Mars, but calm down. We'll all get there someday, one way or another." Simon told his friends.

In the hallways of the Hub Dome, a pair of thin blue legs were running through the hallways. Chasing after this individual was Elisa, who bore the same wide-eyed stare as Susan Strong on candy. The person she is chasing after is a short blue Candy Person shaped like short cylindrical rock candy with worried faces on both ends. "Come back! I just want a few licks!" Elisa shouted. "Get away from me, you crazy moose girl!" the Candy Person yelled to Elisa.

Finn and Jake were walking down the other end of the hallway. "Man, that thing was amazing." Jake told Finn. "I know! I liked it when that thing did the thing." Finn added. "Heh, heh, yeah." Jake chuckled. The Candy Person bumped into them while he looked back. "Finn, Jake, you gotta help me! There's this big crazy woman who wants to lick me!" the Candy Person pleaded. "Either Susan's back, or…" Jake said before Elisa approached them.

"Hey guys, can I have some of that?" Elisa asked them about the Candy Person. Finn puts himself between Elisa and the Candy Person. "Elisa, this is a Candy Person. Just like regular people, we have to respect their boundaries. He looks delicious, and is delicious, but he's still a person." Finn told Elisa. "Okay… but I'm gonna get a lick of him one day! Mark my words!" Elisa declared. She then walks back the way she came from.

"Thanks, Finn. You really saved my butt there." the Candy Person thanked Finn. "You're welcome. So, what's a Candy Person doing all the way in Hub City?" Finn asked. "I'm Neil, I'm an intern here. It's my first day." Neil introduced himself. "Well, Neil, I hope you have a good time here." Finn told Neil. "I will, as long as I don't see that lady again." Neil said.

He walks down the hallway where Finn and Jake came from. "He's gonna die out here." Jake chuckled. "Let's see if mom has a mission for us." Finn told Jake. They walk down the hallway as Neil's backside-face watches them. He stands in front of a wall and his rear face sticks its tongue out, a small peppermint-shaped spider robot sitting atop.

The spider jumps off his tongue and drills a hole into the wall before entering the structure. "So Other Face, why am I standing here?" Neil asked the reverse face. Other Face grunts in uncertainty. "I'm gonna get some coffee. I hope they have peppermint syrup." Neil said before continuing down the hallway.

In The Voyager's base, Finn and Jake arrived in the elevator with Seamus working on Afterburn. "Hey, just in time! Afterburn's fully repaired!" Seamus told Finn. "Alright! We were just about to ask mom for another mission!" Finn said excitedly. "I still don't know why I'm still doing this adventuring thing with you guys. Well, except for the pay." Seamus commented. "You get paid?" Finn asked.

"We all get paid. The moolah's put in out bank accounts." Jake told Finn. "I have a bank account?" Finn said in confusion. "Oh yeah, I forgot to tell you about that." Jake said as he scratched the back of his head. The two walks over to the giant monitor's keyboard to call Minerva. Minerva is displayed on the screen, holding a flip calendea in her digital hands.

"Hey, mom, got another mission for us?" Finn asked. Minerva initially doesn't acknowledge Finn until she darts her eyes up. "Oh, Finn! Yes, I do have a mission for you all. But first, here's a gift from a friend of yours in China." Minerva said as she extended her hand holding the calendar. A giant human hand holding a relatively small calendar emerges from the screen to the surprise of everyone in the room. Finn grabs the calendar and sees Blades in various poses on each page.

"That's Blades for you." Jake said. "Because of your help with Faxian last week, communications have been open between Hub City and them. They shared this deep-space recording with the receiver you helped recover." Minerva told Finn and Jake. The screens switches to an audio visualiser. What plays was garbled audio of a voice speaking in another language with a thick accent. "Is it aliens?" Jake wondered.

"According to analysis, the unidentified individual is speaking in an Earth language called Russian. We believe that there are humans who were lost in space following the Great Mushroom War and survived on alien planets with descendants. The source of the signal has been located in Alpha Centauri; the nearest star from our solar system at four-point-three-seven light-years." Minerva informed them. "So, we're going into space?" Seamus asked nervously. "Correct. I have already hired a ship to transport you all to Alpha Centauri." Minerva confirmed. "We're going to space!" Jake exclaimed excitedly. "I shall inform the others soon. The ship will be arriving tomorrow at Ursa Kildare's docks." Minerva informed them.

"Let's tell everyone we're going to space!" Finn said to Jake. "Yeah! We're going to space!" Jake repeated. They entered the elevator while yelling a muffled "We're going to space!" as they descend. "Miss, is it too late to hand in my resignation?" Seamus asked Minerva. "Yes. Campbell out." Minerva said before closing communications.

The next day, The Voyagers, including the repaired Fallback and Springer, were waiting at Ursa Kildare's docks with Finn and Jake repeating "Space! Space! Space!" excitedly. "You guys really want to go to space that bad, huh?" Chad chuckled. "Yeah we are! We've been to space load'sa times and it was great!" Finn answered. "You've been to space? What's it like?" Elisa asked. "It's pretty scary, but that's what makes it great!" Finn answered.

"Scary is an understatement. It's unpredictable, you'll never know what you're going to see out there. Trust me, I'm an alien." Springer added. "I'm just glad to be out of the infirmary! I hope I get to shoot something this time!" Fallback said aggressively. A Minervabot approaches them. "The ship will be arriving soon. Please follow me uphill for your safety." the Minervabot advised. The Voyagers follow the Minervabot uphill alongside other Minervabot personnel.

They watch as an object descends from the sky. "Here it comes!" Finn said excitedly as he watches with Jake. The object accelerates towards the ocean before stopping abruptly above the ocean, causing water to splash into the air from the immense force. As water fell from the air like rain, The Voyagers bear witness to an ancient and massive white space ship hovering just above the ocean. It was very boxy with four thrusters on the aft and a series of red spikes along the top.

"Look at it! It's huge!" Chad commented. "Let's go down!" Finn said as he ran downhill. The ship hovers so the aft touches down on the beach for a rear loading ramp to lower down. The Voyagers arrive to meet the crew. Emerging from the ramp was a black and orange Autobot about the same height as Bumblebee, bearing parts indicating his alternate mode is an Earth sports car.

"Bonjour! I am Hot Rôd; capitaine of za Lost Light!" the Autobot introduced himself flamboyantly. "Hello, Hut Trod. I'm Finn the Human, but you can call me Finn. "My name…! Ach, forget it." Hot Rod said in a dismissive tone. "Why does he have a French accent?" Simon wondered. "His name is Hot Rod. He landed in France, picked up the language, and it's been stuck like that ever since." Springer answered.

"I hate it." Hot Rod added. "Let's go! I wanna go into space!" Jake demanded. "Space! Space! Space!" Finn and Jake chanted as they entered the ship. Inside the loading bay were a multitude of Autobots interacting with one another and inspecting cargo. "My first time in a space ship and it's all I could ever imagine." Seamus commented in amazament.

"So, how'd Miss Campbell know about you?" Simon asked Hot Rod. "I'm sure you know about Drift. He was my dear third-in-command, a true ami. He suggested that I, the capitain of the greatest spacecraft in the galaxy, would ferry you across the cosmos." Hot Rod explained. Approaching them was an Autobot with an identical body-type to that of Optimus Prime, but in white. "Are these the Earthlings we promised to transport?" the Autobot asked Hot Rod. "Oui, oui." Hot Rod answered for Seamus to let out a small chuckle.

"Ultra Magnus." "Springer." the two greeted each other. "Ah, zis is my first mate, Ultra Magnus." Hot Rod introduced the larger bot to the others. "Hi, we're–" "I know who you are. Optimus Prime as informed me of your group." Ultra Magnus told Finn with a dismissive tone. "Don't worry about him, he's always like zat. Now, follow me to za bridge!" Hot Rod instructed The Voyagers. They follow Hot Rod and Ultra Magnus further into the ship as a Minervabot drives Afterburn towing supplies on a tow trailer into the ship.

They walk through the halls of the ship and pass by many Autobots. "So, what is the function of this ship?" Chad asked Hot Rod. "Just like you, I am also a very famous adventurer! I travel to planets in need of help and collect treasures and artefacts." Hot Rod explained. "So, you've been doing this for hundreds of years?" Finn asked. "Oui." Hot Rod confirmed.

Seamus lets out a small snicker. They enter the bridge which was manned by many Autobots and a captain's chair in the centre. "Here we are in za bridge! I chart courses from here and deal with incoming communications." Hot Rod told everyone. "Your cargo's been loaded. We shall be leaving soon." Ultra Magnus told everyone. "So, are there any human-sized seats around here?" Finn wondered.

"We transported one human before, Martin, I think. He brought some chairs from his asteroid but it turned out they were a distraction so he could steal our nihonium cargo. We kicked him out but kept the chairs." Ultra Magnus explained. "He sounds like a real jerk." Finn groaned as gritted his teeth. Ultra Magnus puts a walkie-talkie to his face. "Minimus, get those human-sized chairs from storage. Why do you want me there? Fine." Ultra Magnus communicated. He leaves the bridge and then soon after, a Headmaster with a green-and-white paintjob and a gunmetal moustache enters with a trolley with red cushioned chairs made from barrels.

"Here are the chairs Ultra wanted." the Headmaster announced. "Who are you?" Jake asked the Headmaster. "Minimus Ambus, Ultra Magnus' assistant. Now I know why he wanted those chairs that other human made." Minimus Ambus explained. Minumus arranges the chairs just in front of the captain's chair with a view of the front windows. "If you excuse me, I have other business to attend to." Minimus Ambus told them before leaving the bridge. Arriving shortly was Ultra Magnus.

"Can't believe I had wrangle Bob again." Ultra Magnus moaned. "Everyone, to your stations! We shall be leaving shortly!" Hot Rod announced to his crew. The Voyagers were sat on the relatively comfortable junk barrel-chairs and awaited lift-off. "Activate za artificial gravity!" Hot Rod commanded. The ship hovers away from land and tilts upwards.

"Launch!" Hot Rod commanded as he pointed to the bow. The Lost Light fires its thrusters and launches into the sky as a prototype Minervabot watches from a hilltop.

To be continued…


	2. Chapter 2

"Space! Space! Space!" Finn and Jake chanted as the ship approaches the stratosphere. It then escapes Earth's orbit and ceases between Earth and Mars. "Atmosphere escape successful. Prepare the quantum drive!" Hot Rod commanded. "Sir, there is an incoming transmission." Ultra Magnus informed Hot Rod. "Fine, let's get zis over with." Hot Rod accepted with an annoyed tone.

A screen before Hot Rod activates and displays a distressed King Man. "Is that an alien?" Chad wondered. "King Man!" Finn and Jake exclaimed as they recognized King Man. "You know him?" Elisa asked. "Yeah, he was a real jerk when he was Magic Man, but now he's an alright King of Mars." Jake explained.

"Finn? Jake? What are you doing in space?" King Man asked them. "We're on our way to Alpha Centauri to find some human astronauts!" Finn answered. "Well, could you help me for a bit? There's someone here that's been bothering my people, another human." King Man requested. "We'll be right down!" Finn accepted. "Thank you, Finn. I'll see you soon!" King Man thanked Finn before hanging up.

"Hey, hey, I am only supposed to transport you to Alpha Centauri and back, no stops!" Hot Rod argued. "I'm not gonna leave a bro hanging! We're coming, King Man!" Finn proclaimed. "Alright, let's go!" Jake proclaimed before stretching into multiple arms up to Hot Rod's captain's chair and he crew controls and starts pressing buttons on his console. "Non, non! What are you doing?!" Hot Rod exclaimed as he stared at the yellow blob fiddling with his ship. "Get away, you don't know what you're doing!" Ultra Magnus demanded as he tried to pry Jake away from Hot Rod's chair.

The Lost Light begins accelerating towards Mars and soon enters its atmosphere. "Jake, I hope you know what you're doing!" Finn exclaimed. "Don't worry, Fallback taught me how to fly a ship last Sunday!" Jake assured. "Fallback is a terrible pilot! Why do you think he's a truck?!" Springer refuted. "I tried telling him, but the dingo really wanted to drive a ship!" Fallback added.

"We're gonna die!" Seamus panicked. The Lost Light continues to accelerate towards the Martian landscape when the ship stops abruptly mere feet above the ground, hovering in the air. "See, I knew what I was doing!" Jake said as he stretched back into dog form. "New rule after this mission: no dogs allowed" Ultra Magnus said as he and the crew picked themselves off the floor. "C'mon everyone, let's go!" Finn told his team.

"Up-up-up! Remember what I said? The next mission, it's just gonna be the two of us, just like the good old days." Jake told Finn. "But Jake, it's Mars! There's no place like Mars! We can show the team around!" Finn told Jake. "I agree. It's best if we stay here, considering Seamus' current condition." Chad told the two as he pointed to Seamus rolling back and forth in a foetal position with a terrified face. "Wait, I wanna come. There something that I want to do here." Simon offered. "Like what?" Jake asked.

Simon shows Finn and Jake a photograph. "Okay, fine! You can come." Jake accepted reluctantly. "Springer, Fallback, you stay here with the rest of the team. We're taking Afterburn out." Finn told the two. "Aye-aye!" Fallback answered. "Come back soon! The sooner we go, the sooner I get paid!" Hot Rod yelled to them as they walked out of the bridge.

In the cargo area, Finn unloaded three space suits from Afterburn's trunk. The suits were thinner than ones they had used before and actually fitted the user's body, their helmets resembled a sleeker version of an astronaut helmet, rather than a dome, and The Voyagers insignia worn on both shoulders. They put on the suits and assemble around Afterburn. "So, can this drive on Mars?" Jake wondered. They enter the car for Finn to find a notice on the console screen.

"A new mode?" Simon read as he sat at the back. Finn presses the screen for the car's structure to shift around them. Afterburn's vehicle mode changes into a white moon buggy with a satellite dish attached to the roof and The Voyagers Autobot-clock logo painted on the hood. "Now we're talkin'!" Finn exclaimed excitedly. The cargo ramp opens up for them to roll onto the Martian soil.

"Adventure Time!" they all yelled as they drove towards the pinkish domes in the horizon. They arrive outside the glass gates of the Martian city and drive through as it opens. They look around the city, finding statues and buildings shaped like King Man's late wife, Margles, as well as buildings shaped like their top-hatted ruler. "This is Mars? I expected something… different." Simon commented. They soon drive to a large King Man-shaped building that is the city hall.

They enter the building where they are met by King Man and several Martian royal guards. "Finn! Jake! And some other guy!" King Man greeted them. "Sup, King Man?" Finn greeted him. "Hi, I'm Simon, Simon Petrikov. I used to be ice King." Simon greeted King Man as he extended his hand. "Of course, of course! I still haven't thanked you for banishing GOLB and saving my career from that bad gas!" King Man said as he shook Simon's hand.

"So, what seems to be the problem?" Finn asked. "Come, follow me." King Man said as he gestured to the team to follow him. They soon enter a waiting room outside of King Man's office where an astronaut sat on a sofa, wearing a suit eerily similar to The Voyagers' astronaut suits, only with "SPACEX" on the shoulders. Jake gets on all fours and starts growling. "Jake, what's wrong?" Finn asked.

"I dunno, but I get a feeling I don't like this dude." Jake replied. "We found her at the gates, asking about humans. We let her in and told her to stay here. We think she's from one of the few independent cities on Mars." King Man told the team. The astronaut stood up and faced the three. "You're humans? From Earth?" a woman's voice asked. "Yeah, I'm Finn, the dog's Jake, and the one with glasses is Simon. We're The Voyagers, and we're here to help!" Finn introduced themselves.

The astronaut takes off their helmet, revealing a beautiful Asian woman with short cherry red hair. "My name is Cherry, from SpaceX Mars City." the astronaut introduced herself. "Did you say SpaceX?" Simon asked Cherry. "Yes, built and designed by SpaceX for housing a human population as well as off-world experimentation, from robotics to genetics. I am a product of such genetic projects." Cherry replied. Red cat ears sprout at the top of her head for Jake to bark louder at her.

She responds with a hiss, only for water to be sprayed from the bottom of her suit's collar. "Wait, you're not human? You're like some kind of cat-person." Finn commented. "She's a catgirl. I'm familiar with SpaceX. They're a pre-war aerospace company. Their founder was a funny guy, joked about cyborg dragons and volcano lairs in social media. With the help of Mo Co. and other companies, SpaceX reached Mars and built a city twenty years than expected. There were rumours of genetic testing, and I always thought they would be about catgirls, just like the founder said." Simon explained. "You're very well versed with our history." Cherry complimented. "It's what I do." Simon said.

"What do you need help with?" Finn asked Cherry. "I need you Earth humans to come with me to SpaceX Mars City, there's an emergency." Cherry told them. "What kind of emergency?" Finn asked. "They will explain when you get there." Cherry replied. Jake stares at Cherry with disdain.

Later, they all ride in Afterburn on the Martian dunes with Cherry sitting next to Simon. "So, do you just have cat ears, ore are there also normal ears?" Finn asked Cherry. "Both." Cherry replied. Jake stares at Cherry. "I see dogs are still alive, and talking now." Cherry commented.

"Yeah, we are." Jake said angrily. "You kids calm down now, or else I'm turning this car around." Finn joked. They soon approach a blue-domed city. "We're here." Cherry said. The clear gates open up for them to drive through.

Inside the dome was a city just as futuristic as Paris, only with more diverse colours on the buildings. On the road were boxy electric vehicles emerging from underground tunnels in pods. The citizens composed of both humans and cat-people with virtually the same face as Cherry. "It's almost like I'm back in the thirties! Minus the cat-human-hybrids." Simon commented. They drive towards multi-stage rocket-shaped tower with "SpaceX" on the front.

They park Afterburn in front and exit. "This is Rocket Tower Hall, where the mayor works and where major research projects are done. Follow me inside." Cherry explained. They enter the tower and find a very high lobby with scientists roaming the floors, glass elevators, and pathways in between. "Wow, this is pretty math!" Finn exclaimed. "It's more than math, it's science!" a voice announced.

Approaching them was a short Asian man in his late twenties with a black goatee and a black pompadour, wearing a lab coat over a green sweater. "Mayor Tezuka, these are The Voyagers. They want to help." Cherry told the man. "You're the Earth humans, right? I still can't believe humans are still thriving on Earth. What's it like down there?" Mayor Tezuka asked. "Some parts are like the dumps, some parts are like this place." Jake answered.

"Oh, the dogs can talk? Fascinating! I would love to analyse you later!" Mayor Tezuka commented. "Mayor, I'm Finn, and this is Jake. Simon's the one back there." "Hi." Finn and Simon introduced themselves. "Of course, of course. I'm Mayor Tezuka, but you can call me Johnny. Please, come to my office." Johnny told them. "Tezuka…" Simon whispered under his breath in thought as they followed Johnny through the ground floor. "I've been to Mars before. Why hasn't King Man mentioned you guys?" Finn asked Johnny. "We prefer to keep to ourselves, especially during the Unification Era." Johnny explained.

They enter a glass elevator and ascend to the top floor, all the way to the nosecone. At the top was a mayor's office surrounded by a glass dome, allowing a splendid view of the city below. "Please, take a seat." Johnny told the team as he and Cherry gestured to five armchairs surrounding a glass coffee table. They all take a seat around the coffee table for Johnny to clap his hands twice. Five cups of black coffee with a bowl of sugar and a small jug of cream are instantly teleported on top of the table.

"So, what do you need us to do?" Finn asked Johnny. "I sent Cherry here to find humans on Mars with fighting experience! I would have told her to hire some Martians, but along with our fragile relations, they aren't the best fighters, especially when they were weakened by Magic Man many years ago." Johnny explained. "Well, you came to the right people. We're The Voyagers; we travel the world to look for more humans. I'm pretty skilled with swords and stuff." Finn introduced themselves. "I can stretch my body into all kinds of stuff, I'm like a walking weapon." Jake added. "I'm just here to accompany them." Simon said.

"Swords? How primitive. At least it's better than nothing, which is what we have. We've been at peace for so long we forgot how to fight. That's why I sent Cherry." Johnny elaborated. "What do you want us to do?" Simon asked. Johnny stands up and walks to the glass behind his desk. "I want you to find a very special document… one sent by the Galactic Council." Johnny told them. "What's that?" Finn asked. "It's an offer by the Galactic Council for Earth to join the Galactic Federation, lost in the early days of the war." Johnny explained.

To be continued…


	3. Chapter 3

"The Galactic Federation? They were about to induct Earth?" Simon repeated. "Yes, they were. This was all before the war, mere days before it, according to old records. The United Nations received a message from the Council, stating that a ship will bring the document. It never came." Johnny added. "Scans have recently found a crashed ship bearing Galactic Federation markings in the Endeavour crater area." Cherry added. "You need fighting people because there's something out there, right?" Jake asked. "Correct. In the early days of Mars City, there was a joint project between the robotics and genetics departments. They sought to create a, quote-unquote, Cyborg Dragon. It decimated mist of the city before flying south, towards the Endeavour crater." Johnny explained.

"I recall a joke told by the founder of a cyborg dragon. I'm a thousand-year-old historian, so I know these things." Simon commented. "A thousand years, eh? I'll have to bring you three to the labs for analysis. Nothing intrusive, of course." Johnny joked. "Cherry here will be your guide on the Martin landscape. She has been in service for six years and is one of the best scouts we have." Johnny told them. "What?! She's coming with?! Listen here, bucko: a dog is a better tracker than any old cat! We've been bred to sniff things out for miles and have better hearing!" Jake refuted angrily. "Yeah, but you can't sniff in space, can you?" Cherry teased.

"Enough, you two! Cherry knows where the precise location of the crash is. Just get out there, and get the document back." Johnny commanded. "I don't get it. If these Galactic Federation guys are so advanced, couldn't they send a digital-computer-file-thing?" Finn wondered. "A physical document makes it more official, and you can frame it somewhere." Johnny replied. "Now, get out of here and get that thing back! The future of humanity depends on it!" Johnny told them. "Yes sir!" Cherry responded with confidence before walking back to the elevator.

The rest of The Voyagers follow her with Simon behind. He looks over his right shoulder to take a brief look at Johnny as he looked over his city before entering the elevator. "This can't be a coincidence." he thought before the doors close. "I really hope this ends soon so I don't have to hang with her." Jake said as he pointed to Cherry next to him. "Agreed." Cherry replied.

They soon take Afterburn southbound to Endeavour crater with Cherry driving and Jake sitting next to Simon at the back. "… So, you're born in a lab, like a clone?" Finn asked Cherry as she drove. "Correct." Cherry confirmed. "So, is it like people growing submerged in glass tanks?" Simon asked. "Yes, how did you guess?" Cherry asked.

"It's a very popular method in fiction." Simon added. "If you're as old as you say you are, you must have a great amount of knowledge." Cherry commented. "Sort of…" Simon said as he thought back to his wasteful Ice King days. "Why are we letting Cherry drive? Can't she just tell you where to go?" Jake asked Finn. "Nobody likes a backseat driver, she told me." Finn answered.

"It is more efficient that the navigator is driving." Cherry stated. Simon thinks silently about Johnny Tezuka as he spaced out. "Cherry… there are archives of films and television shows in Mars City, right?" Simon asked. "Yes. Many copies are sold throughout the city. My batch-siblings and I enjoyed several sci-fi series, like one with wars in the stars." Cherry answered. "Anything else you watched? Anything from a certain network for cartoons made around… maybe… Two-thousand-ten?" Simon interrogated further.

"Hmm… there was one with a kid with nanobots, one with a D.N.A.-altering device, and a show that's not as regular as described." Cherry answered. "Did you watch those kinda shows before, Simon?" Finn asked. "Yeah… those were the days." Simon answered. "What prompted this discussion?" Cherry asked Simon. He thinks back to an image of a brain covered with a glass dome upon someone's beady-eyed head.

"Just curious." Simon said nervously as he darted his eyes to the right. "By the way, you should try Ralph Waldo brand pickle chips when we get back. They're the best thing ever." Cherry suggested. Simon's eyes widen as he heard her. "Ralph Waldo Pickle Chips? Now it can't be a coincidence!" he thought. "How far away is this thing?" Jake wondered impatiently.

"We're almost there, dog." Cherry answered dismissively. They soon approach a tall red incline, indicating they have reached the edge of the crater. "We're here. We need to go by foot." Cherry said as she slowed Afterburn down. They all exit Afterburn and retrieve weapons from the trunk. Simon gets a M.H.M. as Finn takes his now-normal-sized Night Sword.

"Gosh, I missed using normal swords. I like my Arm-Blade, but nothing beats classic dark magic-infused steel." Finn commented as he gazed at the Night Sword nostalgically. "Swords, how barbaric. I'll show you a real weapon!" Cherry dismissed mockingly. She rubs a blue gem-like accessory on her belt for a holographic red cat to pop into existence next to her. "Woah… a holo-cat!" Finn commented excitedly. The cat leaps towards Cherry and reforms itself into a three-headed whip, with three literal cat heads meowing on each end.

"Heat-sensitive Stickers and Holo-Pets, both prototypes created by Mayor Tezuka." Cherry introduced her arsenal. "Algebraic! You can carry that everywhere and it'll feel like nothing!" Finn complimented excitedly. "This is getting ridiculous. She's never heard of the best cartoon set on Mars ever, yet she's showing off all this. I gotta get to the bottom of this." Simon thought. "Hey, Cherry, do you have some sort of communication device with the Mayor? I would love to speak with him while all you are scouting… and stuff." Simon asked Cherry. She removes a wristband device form her left wrist and tosses it to Simon

It takes a while to reach him as gravity is vastly different than Earth's. "I disabled the password, so don't touch anything but the games folder and phone app." Cherry told Simon. "Can we just get on with this? One cat is enough, I don't want to hang around three more." Jake hurried as the cat-whip hissed at him. "Yeah, let's." Finn agreed as he smiled and rested the Night Sword's blade over his shoulder. "Jake, what time is it?" "Adventure Time!" the two exclaimed with a high-five.

They walk up the crater wall as a prototype Minervabot peeks out from Afterburn's trunk and stares at them. The team reach the top of the crater's edge and gaze upon a vast Martian landscape within. "So, are there any other aliens here than the Martians?" Finn asked Cherry. "Well, humans and cat-humans are not from Mars, so we're the aliens and the Martians are natives." Cherry corrected. "Woah… I'm an alien! Jake, we're aliens!" Finn told Jake excitedly.

Jake chuckles briefly. "Hey, Simon, we're aliens." Jake chuckled as he turned to Simon, who was on Cherry's wrist communication device trying to contact Johnny. "Huh, what?" Simon said to Jake. "Trying to talk to the Mayor?" Jake asked. "Yeah, I'm just curious about Mars. Wanted to ask from the top dog." Simon explained.

"I forgot to tell you, he's busy from nine-to-ten. He won't be answering calls from anyone." Cherry told Simon. "Why didn't you tell me earlier?" Simon asked. "You can play some games if you're bored. You don't strike as a fighting-type person to me." Cherry answered. Simon lowers the device and tries to find a pocket to put it in. They climb down the slope and enter the valley within the crater.

They walk through the crater and find... red rocks, nothing but red rocks. "It's just like Red Rock Pass, but everywhere." Finn commented. "We should be careful. The Cyborg Dragon should still be active now. We have to watch the skies." Cherry cautioned them. "I've beaten cyborgs and dragons. A Cyborg Dragon will be nothing!" Finn commented. They soon approach a cliff overlooking a smaller crater with a small crashed spaceship in the centre, covered in red dust.

"There it is. We have to be careful at this point." Cherry warned them. They follow her down a path leading to the crater as they had their weapons ready and Jake's hands stretched into giant fists with his suit wrapping them perfectly. "Man, your mom sure did a great job on the suits." Jake commented. "Thanks. She got some help from Banana Man to design them." Finn responded. They approach the ship and look to the skies in caution.

"I'll go look for the document. You all stand guard." Cherry instructed. She rubs the dust off the ship to find a porthole to kick in. She nimbly climbs into the porthole and disappears into it. "Finn, Jake, disconnect your communicators with Cherry." Simon whispered to Finn. "Uh… okay." Finn said before he and Jake do so on their helmet H.U.D.

"Guys, do you remember that cartoon I showed you from my D.V.D. collection? The one with the cat-ladybug-hybrid?" Simon asked Finn and Jake. "Kinda. I never got the chance to watch the rest of Season One. I was busy watching the cartoon with the bird and racoon." Finn answered. "Well, I'm gonna give you some spoilers; the green girl's last name is Tezuka, her dad's name is Johnny, and is an insane priest also named Ralph Waldo Pickle Chips." Simon told them nervously. "Hey, I was gonna watch it!" Jake groaned. "Huh, I knew those holo-weapons did look familiar." Finn commented.

"So, what are you saying?" Jake asked. "The Mayor's name is exactly like a character on the show there's a company called Ralph Waldo that makes pickle chips, and there are holographic weapons exactly like in the show! On top of that, all of that are on Mars! Despite that, Cherry has seen the most popular cartoons of Twenty-ten except for that specific show! There's something weird going on, and considering I've watched everything on the show, I don't like it!" Simon explained hysterically. "So, what do you think is going on?" Jake asked. "Maybe it's some weird secret social experiment that's been going on for generations, maybe it's all some strangely specific coincidence, maybe all this is a twisted illusion crafted by GOLB, I dunno! I'm gonna ask the Mayor some questions when we get back!" Simon answered. "Simon, calm down. We can deal with this later." Finn calmed Simon down.

"I… I'm sorry. I used to watch the show with my friends and had some fond memories of it. I guess I'm suffering from early-stage Old World Blues, as my friend Al would say." Simon apologized. "What's Old World Blues?" Finn asked. "It means I miss my old life, and I miss Betty." Simon explained. "Hey, we're gonna find her, someway, somehow." Jake assured. They hear banging from within the ship and re-connect their communicators to Cherry's communicator.

"Did you find it?" Finn asked Cherry. "Yeah, it's right here!" Cherry responded. She emerges through the porthole with her upper torso sticking out. She was holding a metallic scroll in her right hand. "Take the document, then help me out of here." Cherry instructed. Finn takes the scroll and puts it into his backpack before grabbing Cherry's hand.

"Jake, Simon, help me out here!" Finn told the rest of his team. Jake groans as he clasped onto Cherry's left hand with Simon. They struggle to pull her out, despite how easy it was for her to swoop in. Their channels are flooded with a near-deafening roar. "Did you hear that?" Simon wondered.

"Oh no…" Chery moaned. A fast shape swoops down and snatches the ship with Cherry inside. The three are frozen in terror as they watch the dragon zoom into the horizon. "Go back to the city! Leave m–" Cherry instructed them before her communications are cut off. "So… should we go?" Jake asked Finn and Simon nonchalantly.

To be continued…


	4. Chapter 4

"Jake, we can't just leave her!" Finn told Jake. "She said we should go back, so we're going back to Mars City, and give the thing to the mayor." Jake told Finn sternly. "Jake, you know how this is gonna go. I'm gonna insist on rescuing her, and you're gonna follow me anyway for the sake of adventure." Finn told Jake. Jake looks to the horizon and sighs. "Fine, you convinced me." Jake said in defeat.

"Thanks, man." Finn thanked Jake as he put his right arm in front of him. A holographic projection of Afterburn lights up before him for him to tap on it. Afterburn immediately flies from the edge of the crater, zooms above them, and lands just at the centre of the smaller crater with a swerve. A Minervabot sticks its head out of the driver's side and waves to the group. They all enter Afterburn before the Minervabot hits the gas and accelerates in the direction of the Cyborg Dragon.

The Minervabot drives up a steep slope and sends Afterburn flying again. "Yeah! Woo!" Finn and Jake exclaimed in excitement as they catch some air, or lack thereof considering Mars' low atmosphere. Simon just covered his helmet's face with his hands in fear. Afterburn lands back on the ground and continues eastwards. "Activating radar-thing!" Finn said as he tapped on the console screen.

The screen displays a radar showing the local area, but no other moving objects. "Dang, looks like its gone." Finn said. "How are we going to find her?" Jake wondered. Simon was fiddling with Cherry's wrist communicator and found something of use. "Hey, there's a tracking app here! I found Cherry and the dragon due east! They're going really fast!" Simon informed the team as he showed a map on the communicator. "Mom, connect to the tracker and find Cherry!" Finn requested to the Minervabot. "Affirmative." The Minervabot acknowledged. The Minervabot remotely interfaces the communicator to bring up a larger map of Mars on Afterburn's console with the red marker traveling faster, miles away from them.

"Man, that's far! It would be easier to turn back and get back to our own mission." Jake suggested. "Jake!" Finn scolded him. "I'm just kidding… kinda." Jake responded. "Do we have anything that makes this thing go faster?" Simon asked the Minervabot. "Transtector Unit Afterburn is equipped with experimental roadbridge technology, allowing travel over most obstacles and allows less friction on the tires, increasing speed." the Minervabot answered. "Do you wish to enable the roadbridge? It is currently in experimental phase and your safety is not guaranteed." the Minervabot asked.

"Yes, go!" Finn answered. "Command confirmed. Activating roadbridge." the Minervabot relayed. An orange ribbon emerges from underneath Afterburn and forms into an orange strip of road that escalates further into the air. Afterburn drives up the ribbon and increases in speed. "Schmow!" Finn exclaimed.

They follow the ever-constructing road as it zips and rolls through the Martian atmosphere, almost forming a typical roller coaster track with loops and slopes. "Is this what Vert Wheeler feels like all the time?!" Simon panicked as he held tight to his seat. "W-w-what's g-g-going o-o-on?!" Jake stuttered as Afterburn follows a zigzagged road with sharp turns. "There are currently errors in auto-navigation systems. This may be patched in the next version." the Minervabot answered calmly. "Hey, I think I can see them!" Finn said as he squinted his eyes at a shape in the distance.

They approach closer to the Cyborg Dragon as it held the ship in its talons. The dragon itself was a black-scaled dragon with four legs ending in talons, the hind legs carrying the derelict ship. "Cherry, can you hear us?" Finn asked Cherry through his helmet communicator. They initially hear static until the channel clears. "Finn? Simon? Dog? What are you doing?! You have the document! Return to Mars City!" Cherry advised quietly.

"We're not leaving without you!" Finn rebutted. "You're no match for the Cyborg Dragon, go back!" Cherry warned them. "I'm never gonna leave a friend behind ever again! We're gonna rescue you, even if it's going to kill us!" Finn argued. "I didn't agree to dying!" Simon added. "Cherry, back where I came from, there was a kingdom with banana-people acting as guards. They look, act, and talk just like each other and basically looked the same. But they were different in their own way, they enjoyed doing different things. They may look the same, but they weren't, they were their own people. I can image that's the same for you and the rest of your people." Finn told Cherry.

Simon then chimed into their conversation. "Cherry, remember the second episode of that sci-fi show? Do you remember what that mask-guy said to the clones on the escape pod?" Simon asked Cherry. She stays silent before they hear metallic footsteps. She pokes her head out of the porthole and smiles to them. "Woah, when did it do that?" Cherry wondered as she saw Afterburn on the roadbridge.

"Nevermind that. I have a plan." Finn told Cherry. Finn climbs out of Afterburn and onto the roof. "Minervabot, do a loop-de-loop around the dragon." Finn commanded. "Affirmative." the Minervabot acknowledged. The roadbridge twists around the Cyborg Dragon before Afterburn follows it, twirling around the dragon like a roller coaster.

"Jake, come on!" Finn told Jake. The two jump out of Afterburn and lands on the Cyborg Dragon's spine. Afterburn is sighted by the Cyborg Dragon's yellow eyes and starts to chase it. "Minervabot, try to stay as far as possible from the dragon while driving like mad!" Finn commanded. "Wait wha–" Simon said as the Minervabot just took a sharp left turn.

Finn and Jake grab hold of one of the dragon's back spikes as it flew faster. "So, what's next? Should I grow and weigh this thing down?" Jake asked. "No, then it'll crash with Cherry underneath it. We're gonna go down there, and I'm gonna cut open the ship like a can of tuna!" Finn planned. Finn and Jake run to the base of the tail, directly above the hind legs. "Fishing line!" Finn told Jake.

Jake's hand stretches into a fishing line with the suit perfectly wrapping around the shape. "Man, maybe I should've gone to that last experimentation session with your mom." Jake said. Finn jumps onto the hook for Jake to lower him carefully as the line swayed around. Finn attaches the hook underneath the ship before yelling "Platform!" to Jake for the hook to stretch into a platform for Finn to stand on. "Cherry, stand back!" Finn warned Cherry.

He drives his Night Sword into the ship's hull and cuts a vertical rectangle shape out of it. He kicks the wall in, bending the metal and revealing a cautious Cherry inside. "Take my hand." Finn said as he extended his hand to Cherry. She walks to Finn and grabs his hand. Finn grabs onto Jake's arm and tugs it twice for Jake to pull them up.

"Dog? You came to save me?" Cherry wondered. "I'm just doing it because Finn told me." Jake said dismissively. "You're doing it because it's the right thing to do." Finn corrected. "So, how do we get down?" Cherry wondered. "Jake, tie its wings together!" Finn told Jake.

Jake nods and stretches his arms to grab the dragon's wings and pull them together. The dragon ceases chasing Afterburn and falls out of the sky. Finn, Cherry, and Jake are also falling with the dragon before they are caught by Afterburn on the roadbridge. They are let down on the ground before the dragon does and witness the Martian dust wafted into the air by its impact. They cheer at the defeat before their channels once more are filled with roars.

They look upon the Cyborg Dragon's tattered body rising and turning to them. "That's not good." Simon bemoaned. The Minervabot's eyes glows blue and says "Deploying Transtector Unit Minefield.". In Mars' lower orbit, a white Cybertronian satellite bearing The Voyagers logo manoeuvres above the team's location. In the centre of the satellite was a bulky sphere that is launched into the atmosphere.

The object accelerates towards the dragon's head and knocks into it before re-directing towards the team. They take cover as the object crash lands before them. They look upon the crater and see a grey Earth tank before them, bearing The Voyagers insignia on the turret along with a French flag. "A tank?" Simon said in surprise. The Minervabot hands him a bulky white device with a circular component in the middle.

"This is Minefield. It is equipped with an experimental Mouse Hole Maker. Use this opportunity to test it with the new Master Belt." it advised. "Why me of all people? I'm just a historian!" Simon argued. The Minervabot stares at him. "*SIGH* Fine…" Simon groaned as the Minervabot hands him a Master Brace. "Place the Master Belt on your waist, then insert the Master Brace into the circular slot and shout 'Head on!'" the Minervabot instructed.

"That's new." Jake commented. The Cyborg Dragon quakes the land as it crawls towards them. "Hurry!" Finn exclaimed. Simon quickly places the device on his waist for a black strap to automatically wrap around him before inserting the Master Brace into the circular component. "Head on!" Simon shouted before his body transforms into a very bulky and tall version of Headmaster armour, as tall as Elisa.

"Woah…" Cherry said in amazement. Simon jumps out of Afterburn and approaches the tank. It transforms into a large Transtector with a tank barrel in its chest. Minefield grabs Simon as he transforms into head mode with a grille mouthplate and a blue visor. As the Cyborg Dragon neared, Minefield aims the barrel at it.

"Where should I fire?" Simon panicked. A voice echoes in his mind, that of his friend Al. "Always go for the head…" Al echoed. Minefield aimed at the dragon's head as it was mere metres close. "Now's a good time!" Jake yelled.

Minefield's barrel glows with blue energy as it charges up. The Cyborg Dragon stops at the cliff before them and lowers its head, mesmerized by the light. Minefield fires its laser straight through the dragon's head, reaching from his chest, all the way to Mars' lower atmosphere before the beam dissipates. They look upon the wide hole bored into the dragon's forehead, exposing its burnt-out brain and cybernetics within. The Cyborg Dragon collapses and shakes the earth one last time before its yellow eyes darkens.

"Woah, that was amazing!" Finn cheered. Simon transforms back into Headmaster mode and falls off the Transtector's shoulders. "I never want to do that again. You guys can have it." Simon panted tiredly. Jake picks up Simon and carries him onto Afterburn's back seat. Cherry turns to the Minervabot as Finn cheers.

"Who's this and why isn't she wearing a space suit?" Cherry wondered. "This is a Minervabot; and android built by my mom to look like her." Finn explained. "It's… nice to meet her." Cherry said as she was weirded-out. "Let's go back to Mars City." Finn said as he moved to the driver's seat. The Minervabot enters Minefield and follows them back north.

"What kind of tech was that? It's nothing like our mechs." Cherry asked Finn. "It's a little complicated. I'll explain later, maybe when we meet after our mission to Alpha Centaruri." Finn answered. "So, Simon, what did you do with that picture?" Jake asked Simon. "I put it where it belongs." Simon said. Back in the Endeavour crater, Simon's photograph was posted on an inactive rover's cameras.

The photo depicted Simon and Theodore standing on the opposite sides of a hospital bed. Laying on the hospital bed was Al with a clean-shaved head, wearing a patient's smock. Written in marker on the photo was "MARS OR BUST" written in red, blue, and green with different handwriting for each word. "Al, Theo, I miss you guys…" Simon whispered tearfully.

THE END


End file.
